Alakol Resort Offers Health-Conscious Vacations

ASTANA – The recently opened Arasan Alakol Resort Hotel offers health retreats along with entertainment opportunities in one of the most pristine and remote tourist destinations on Alakol Lake.

Vacationers on the Alakol shores can choose to stay in tents or in cottages that include full-time security and wireless internet. The resort has a restaurant that serves European and Asian cuisine and a karaoke bar. For the active, there are morning gymnastics, games for children during the day and evening entertainment programmes by a team of animators.

Guests who want some peace and quiet can opt for the hotel’s relaxation area and spa, equipped with modern massage rooms and a phyto-bar for cosmetic procedures.

The wilderness around the lake offers diversions other than splashing on the shore. Not far from the lake is the Zhetysu Alatau mountain range with its famous Dzungarian Gates. The mountains have cave paintings as well as ample opportunities for animal and bird watching. The lake and surrounding areas attract many of Kazakhstan’s Red Book listed birds, including flamingos.

Alakol lake is the second largest inland salty reservoir in Kazakhstan. Its waters are comparable in qualities to those of the Black Sea and include almost every element present in the periodic table. Alakol lake is known for its therapeutic clay, which is used to treat joints and is said to alleviate the consequences of bone fractures and other physical injuries. The clay has been successfully used to treat various diseases of the peripheral nervous system, the respiratory system and the skin.

The holiday season starts in May, when the water of the lake is already warm, and ends in September. June and August are the most popular months, especially for guests trying to avoid strong sun. The sun in these months is less intense and it is even possible to swim in the afternoon.

The new resort aims to facilitate holidays while minimising their impact on the fragile ecosystem of the lake. All the buildings of the complex are designed as alpine chalets and made entirely from wood, with decorations of high-quality Siberian larch. The architecture and plan of the whole complex follows principles of feng shui, the ancient Chinese system of health-based design. Buildings are arranged so that positive energy is accumulated and distributed evenly throughout the living space.

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